Archive for the ‘close finsihes’ Category

Michael Wille, courtesy of Island, 11 November 2017, swwhere the title is My cricketing journey, from big dreams to big matches””

I have been asked to write an article about my cricketing journey from Colombo to Melbourne. I have some reservations about how relevant my article will be. However, I trust that it will serve essentially as an insight to the exhilarating schoolboy cricketing era of the 1950s.

I debuted for Royal in ’54 and captained in ’57. A couple of weeks after the Royal-Thomian I migrated to Australia and was the first Sri Lankan to play District (Grade) cricket in Melbourne. Read the rest of this entry ?

ONE: When presenting my summary information on one of the most momentous moments i Sri Lankan cricket when a “Ceylon”team beat India in an unofficial four-day Test match at Ahmedabad in early 1965, I came across two photographs sis by side: one showing captains Tissera and the Nawab of Pataudi shaking hands at the toss and another of a third slip or gully taking a catch. I assumed [wrongly] that this was catch snaffled by Anura Polonowita referred to in phone conversation by Mano Ponniah.

This identification has been challenged by Mevan Pieris… but his reading is now questioned by Darrell Lieversz. So cricketing aficianados must address ths puzzle.

TWO: A Note from HSM “Mevan”Pieris, December 2017

“The picture which states Polonowita taking a brilliant catch off Fredrick is wrongly stated. Neither the catcher is Polonowita nor the bowler Fredrick who was a short stocky cricketer. The tall bowler I believe is Mevan Pieris and the fielder taking the catch is Lionel Fernando. The wicket keeper is Russel Hamer and slip I believe is Anura Tennekoon. This photograph probably is one taken when the Sri Lanka Board team under Anura Tennekoon’s captaincy toured South India, about 1971. The bowler is certainly not Norton Fredrick. When Polonowita and Fredrick played for the country in India, Russel Hamer was not in the team and the wicket keeper was HIK Fernando. Anura Tennekoon could probably help to confirm what I say.“

It is with embarrassed reluctance that I wish to bring to your notice a further correction to the paragraph and photograph.The photograph was taken in Bangalore (India) at the 1st Test Ceylon vs India in 1963. It is of a dropped catch by Stanley Jayasinghe from Abhas Ali Baig off my bowling. From Left to Right : H I K Fernado (Wicket Keeper), Abhas Ali Baig (Batsman), Dillip Sardesai (non striker), Abu Fuard (1st Slip), Umpire (??), Stanley Jayasinghe (2nd Slip) and Darrell Lieversz (Bowler).

It was a sad moment indeed, because Baig went on to score 96 and was ultimately caught by H I K Fernando off the bowling of Abu Fuard.

However, the article in its entirety is as usual very well written with some incredible facts making it an extremely good read.

Rex Clementine, in The Island, 23 November 2017, under title “Dickwella opens up on Calcutta antics”Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella engages in an altercation with Indian captain Virat Kohli as the umpires try to intervene.

Sri Lanka’s young wicketkeeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who was the talking point for his antics in the opening Test against India in Calcutta, revealed that he tried to get under the skin of the Indian players in a bid to kill time.Read the rest of this entry ?

Phew. What an end to this Test.Lot of time lost to rain. This was effectively a three-day Test. Gosh, give me this day in and day out. More fun than watching your favourite batsmen stack up triple hundreds for fun. That exhibition of swing bowling from India and Lakmal is my moment of 2017. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Until next time, it’s goodbye from me, Shashank Kishore, and Alagappan Muthu. Cheers. Be well, Eden Gardens. Over to you, Jamtha.

Osman Samiuddin,courtesy of ESPNcricinfo, 3 October 2017, where the title reads “The truth about Rangaiyya“

Frankly, Pakistan would like to call bullshit. For years – pretty much his entire career – Rangana Herath has been made out to be this cuddly, pudgy little teddy bear. No piece on him goes by without reference to his belly. And look, he works in a bank except he’s not a banker like JP Morgan was a banker. Cricket’s normcore legend. Drops his kids to school and runs errands himself. He’s happy to be normal, shed off the celebrity psychosis of subcontinent cricketers. He’s the not-Murali Sri Lanka spinner. Doesn’t really do much with the ball either. Keeps it simple. What can he do? He’s SLA, the dad joke of bowling. Read the rest of this entry ?